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Karen Duncan has been a part of the JCC’s Early Childhood Learning Center since 1992. She started as a classroom teacher before moving into a supervisory position. In 2007, she helped renovate and rejuvenate the former parenting center, turning it into Shayna’s Village.
As director of the Village, she is committed to helping parents and their children move through all of the phases of early childhood with dignity and respect, using best practices as the guide.
She finds joy in teaching and creating classes, but one of the best parts of her job is watching lifelong friendships develop in Shayna’s Village classes. Children and parents who meet in Shayna’s Village tend to remain friends for years and then eventually return as new parents and grandparents, keeping the cycle of friendships going. She feels honored to be a witness to those deep-rooted connections.
Karen Duncan was awarded the Harriet Weiss Legacy Award in 2021.
All activities require either an annual Village Pass or a JCC membership. A time each week for you to spend with your little ones, enjoying activities at no cost.
Story Time 10:30-11:00 am
Snack Time 11:00-11:15 am
Musical Shabbat 11:15-11:45 am
In this class, the children will learn beginning keyboard skills. Each week they will practice as a group on their own individual keyboard. All keyboards will be provided. They will also play a variety of musical games and explore a variety of other instruments!
This trademarked class will teach you fun activities like infant massage, baby yoga, and additional techniques to do with your babies so they get all the benefits of tummy time.
Learn guitar in the village from guitar instructor extraordinaire, Ron Duncan. Open to kindergarteners through adults. Private or semi-private lessons. Contact Ron at 407-792-9337 for fees and scheduling.
In this one-of-a-kind class, the children will be introduced to guitar, rhythm, singing, and music theory in a group setting. This simple approach will improve your child’s fine motor skills, social interactions, confidence, and stage presence. Guitars are provided for each class.
In this class, the children will learn kitchen basics and to follow a recipe. They will learn about “sometimes” vs. “anytime” food while they create nutritious foods and delicious treats.
Each week in this class, the children will get to experience a different area in the Village. They will enjoy the following activities: art, cooking, science, music, gardening, literature, and drama.
In this class, the children will find their calm with yoga and explorations in our garden. They will learn all about nature’s ways as they plant and tend to the garden and explore all the other parts of the outdoor classroom.
Enjoy a 30-minute interactive concert that includes lots of music, movement, and instruments! Please register in advance.
Enjoy complimentary challah with your child, while socializing with other families! Please register in advance.
Come snuggle and read stories together in this open library time. Enjoy guest storytellers. Please register in advance.
This class will help children prepare for K4 and Kindergarten. Through songs, stories, competitive games, and role-playing, the children will practice how to speak up for themselves and be the kind of person everyone wants as a friend.
Messy play and experimenting help children understand scientific concepts better. In this class, the children will explore scientific ideas through hands-on activities, using all of their senses.
Is your little one almost ready for school, but you’re not quite ready to let go just yet? This class will give you the best of both worlds! The class is structured like a preschool class. During the first two weeks, the parent/caregiver and child attend together. Next, parents stay on the sidelines. For the last two weeks, the children attend by themselves.
The children will unleash their creativity as they participate in creative activities of all kinds: visual art, dramatic play, and music.
The children will gain independence and confidence in this class as they begin to follow a school routine that is filled with learning activities, gross motor activities, and snack!
For the health, safety, and welfare of both staff and students, the Richard S. Adler Early Childhood Learning Center follows all State of Florida vaccination requirements for students entering our school. Documentation of compliance with these requirements shall be provided to the school for all students upon entry into the school. The school will monitor ongoing vaccination compliance for children 2 months to 2 years. This follows the standards and policies of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control, and the American Council on Immunization and Prevention. There are no religious exemptions to this policy. Medical exemptions will be reviewed by the director with medical consultation as necessary.
Storybook Theater
Dive into fairy tales from around the world. Weekly lessons will explore diverse cultures’ fairy tales and folklore to teach relevant themes in a creative, fun, and interactive environment. Participants will engage in improv, movement, puppetry, and music activities that nurture imagination and empathy through the world of storytelling. Fairy tales include: The 3 brothers and the Golden Apple (Bulgaria), Bunbuku Chagama (Japan), and The Legend of Coqui (Puerto Rico)
Each week the children will learn all about the benefits of three Rs of the environment: recycle, reuse, and reduce. The children will spend time in our outdoor classroom and participate in all kinds of activities that support a healthier environment.
Each week in this class, the children will discover the world of art as they learn about and experiment with different art media. They will also create a portfolio to store all of their projects.
In this class, the children will decorate a treasure box and add items they create to it each week as they study a variety of topics from rock and minerals to dinosaurs.
Toddlers will begin to learn about basic kitchen principles, such as pouring, mixing, and spreading. The children will enjoy being a part of the cooking process, especially when they get to eat what they make!
Director of Racquet Sports/Head Coach
Vladimir is a former top ranked player and a junior champion of Serbia, NCAA Division 1 player for a Championship team at the University of Florida, a professional player who competed on the ATP Tour for more than 16 years and a Davis Cup player for Serbia alongside Novak Djokovic. Vladimir graduated from the University of Florida where he played at the top of the lineup. During his collegiate career he was ranked as high as number 1, made the NCAA tournament first team and SEC tournament team, was SEC player of the week, and made Dean’s list as well as academic honor roll. He held a professional ranking at the age of 16 and throughout his career, he won 5 professional titles, competed in the biggest events in the world, and reached ATP ranking 192/368 singles and doubles. Throughout his career he competed against, and holds wins over, some of the best players in the world like Mariano Puerta (ATP 5 and French Open finalist), John Isner (ATP 8), Jiri Vesely (ATP 35), Kei Nishikori (ATP 4), Ryan Harrison, Janko Tipsarevic, Benjamin Becker, Sergeiy Stakhovsky, Dusan Lajovic and many more.
Vladimir comes from the same tennis club in Serbia that produced numerous professional players and he trained under the same developmental program as some of the greatest players in the history of tennis like Novak Djokovic. Upon Vladimir’s retirement from professional tennis, he transitioned into a new role as a coach, hitting partner, and adviser to some of the best players on tour. The list of clients he worked with includes Jelena Jankovic (WTA 1), Ana Ivanovic (WTA 1 and Grand Slam winner), Sabine Lisicki (Wimbledon Finalist), Andrea Petkovic (WTA 9), Ivo Karlovic (ATP 14), and Natalia Vikhlyantseva (WTA 54). In the past several years, Vladimir coached a number of junior players who became nationally ranked, received athletic scholarships into some of the most prestigious universities in the USA, reached the Orange Bowl Finals, and won Eddie Her. His proven training process, along with his work ethic, is being implemented into his academy in Orlando.
Vladimir is USPTA Level 1 Elite Professional, USTA Safe Play Coach, USTA ROGY and High Performance Coach and ATP/WTA Touring Coach.